Alabama Crimson Tide: Kamryn Pettway

The Southeastern Conference continues to dominate the recruiting class rankings. Here's a closer look at some freshman that could make an early impact in the SEC.

Current 2014 QB prospect who could start immediately:Drew Barker (Hebron, Ky./Conner Senior) -- Kentucky commit: Though Jason Whitlow and Maxwell Smith will be juniors heading in to next season, Barker is just too talented to keep off the field. The No. 6-ranked pocket passer in the country has all the physical tools head coach Mark Stoops is looking for from his signal-caller. Barker, an Elite 11 member, should see the field early and often for the Wildcats as a true freshman.

Program-changing 2014 recruiting class: Tennessee: The Volunteers are off to a 2-2 start and face a brutal schedule coming up. There are a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball but with a current recruiting class that is ranked No. 3 in the country, several freshman will be able to make an impact early on in their careers. It might take a few years to notice, but this is the type of class that can help turn Tennessee back into a SEC contender.

Current 2014 prospect with Heisman potential: QB Will Grier (Davidson, N.C./Davidson Day) -- Florida commit: The No. 2-ranked dual threat quarterback in the country has a lot of the same traits as Johnny Manziel. He's an athletic-gunslinger that likes to take chances and his skill set could mean the Gators will have to adjust their offensive philosophies. Through the first five games of his senior year, Grier has thrown for 31 touchdowns. He's also rushed for over 500 yards and another five touchdowns. Florida has had three quarterbacks win the Heisman Trophy and Grier has all the tools to be the next.

Freshmen making early impact

Ole Miss' freshmen earned headlines months before they took the field. They have lived up to the hype, writes Chris Low. Story

Each year college coaches prioritize their recruiting needs. Whether it's offensive or defensive linemen or skilled positions, there always seems to be an area that needs more attention than others. Here's a closer look at the most important position for each SEC team in recruiting this year.

It’s time to dip into the SEC recruiting mailbag and answer your questions. Because of the amount of questions we’ve received, we won’t be able to get to all of them today -- but we encourage you to ask again next week by tweeting your questions to @DerekTysonESPN.

@cpage2911: who are the top SEC assistant coaches recruiting wise?

Derek Tyson: As evident by having 10 SEC schools ranked in the top 25 of the Recruiting Nation class rankings, the SEC is full of recruiting savvy coaches. The list is long and full of quality coaches, and I could make a case for a number of SEC coaches, but here's a glance at three coaches who stand out to me this year.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart continues to be an outstanding recruiter and has helped the Tide stand firm in the top five of the class rankings. Smart is the primary recruiter for ESPN 300 committed players Kalvaraz Bessent, Stephen Roberts, Shaun Dion Hamilton and Zach Whitley.

@SleeperAthletes: Out of all the #SEC states, which state is most heavily recruited?

DT: As far as sheer numbers, Florida is always one of the most heavily recruited areas in the country. In fact, 17 percent (52) of the prospects ranked in the ESPN 300 are from the state of Florida. Texas is the next state in SEC territory with 34 players on the ESPN 300 followed by Georgia with 29 players.

Louisiana might not have the total number of prospects as Florida, Texas and Georgia, but what it lacks in numbers it makes up for in quality. Three of the top 10 players in the country including the No. 1 overall prospect, Leonard Fournette, and eight of the top 50 players in the country are from Louisiana.

SECfan: Will an SEC team take home the recruiting championship again?

DT: Five of the top 10 recruiting classes are from the SEC including three -- Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia in the top five. When it's all said and done, though, I believe it will be a battle between Alabama and LSU. Alabama is at No. 2 while LSU is at No. 10, and with several key targets still available LSU could certainly jump to the top.

Louisiana natives and top 10 players including Fournette, Cameron Robinson and Speedy Noil are high on the Tigers. Linebacker Clifton Garrett, wide receivers Trey Quinn and Malachi Dupre, safety Laurence Jones and defensive tackle Gerald Willis III are just some of the top prospects considering LSU and the Tigers could end up with a monster class. Alabama, however, is still very much in contention for both Fournette and Robinson which could quickly cement the Tide as the top overall class. Bottom line is, yes, I believe the SEC will land the No. 1 recruiting class for the third straight year.

MOBILE, Ala. -- The new Auburn coaching staff has put an emphasis on the state of Alabama in recruiting, and the trend continued Wednesday when the Tigers landed a commitment from St. Paul’s Episcopal linebacker Tré Williams, ranked No. 74 in the ESPN 150.

"It's been a really great process," he said. "Ever since day one, I was really nervous about my first offer, and when they started building up, Coach [Steve] Mask told me to stay humble. I have and I will always be."

Williams credited his relationship with Auburn assistant coach Dameyune Craig, his recruiting coordinator, as one of the main reasons why he chose the Tigers.

"I've known Coach Craig since my freshman year," Williams said. "He gave me my first offer back at Florida State, and ever since then, we've built that relationship. When he went to Auburn, it made it even better. I already liked Auburn at the time."

Since earning the first offer from Florida State, Williams had accumulated close to 20 scholarship offers, but he admitted it came down to in-state rivals Alabama and Auburn. He also had Florida and Ole Miss in his final group.

At Auburn, the 6-foot-2, 217-pound prospect projects best as an inside linebacker, but Mask, his head coach at St. Paul's, believes Williams can succeed no matter what position he plays.

"He's pretty special," Mask said. "The thing that separates him from anybody I've ever coached, I don't think I've ever seen a kid who loves to play football more than him. He loves to practice football. He loves to talk about football. He loves to play football. He loves the game."

Williams will join high school teammate Josh Casher at Auburn next season. Casher, who committed to the Tigers in March, is the top center prospect in the nation according to ESPN.

With the addition of Williams, Auburn now has five commitments for 2014, four from the state of Alabama. Prattville, Ala., running back Kamryn Pettway was the first to commit to new AU coach Gus Malzahn and his staff.